What to Bake During a Hurricane

Funnel Cakes!! Just one of the many desserts made for my first cookbook photo shoot, Summer 2011.

This is the third hurricane I've weathered in that last 14 months (thank you, Irene, Isaac, and now Sandy). And I am now quite the master of baking up a storm...during a storm!
Hurricane Irene -
While under threat in NYC two summers ago, I was in the midst of baking 30 different desserts for my cookbook's first photo shoot, which was scheduled the day Irene was supposed to hit. Luckily, the hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm and I didn't lose power. But if I had...I would have opened a pop-up bakery on my Brooklyn block.

Prep for Peach Hand Pies, Summer 2011.

Hurricane Isaac - 
In New Orleans this August, I planned to finish my cookbook manuscript. Well, that didn't happen on time due to the Category 1 storm that took the entire city out of commission. The weather was an unbearably hot and humid 90 degrees, but softening butter took no time at all. When combined with some seriously overripe fruit (that's what happen when you don't have A/C for several days in New Orleans), a breakfast of freshly-baked Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel made me feel civilized.

Blueberry-Almond Tart, Summer 2011

Hurricane Sandy -
As I am working on my latest round of my cookbook edits (again, I am past due...), the Hurricane, named after my editor (Oh the irony!), has stormed in and set me back. Oh well. I'm going to go bake some of my Double Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Confection Tasting in San Francisco

This is just the first 25 confections I was tasked to eat last Sunday at the 3rd annual Good Food Awards. After lunch, which included a visit to Bar Tartine for a most amazing snack of peach leaf and roasted buckwheat tea and chicken katsu on Langos--potato fry bread sandwich, I had to taste at least 15 more candies.

Just imagine how I must have felt after eating what is equivalent to an entire heart-shaped box of Valentine's Day chocolates...pretty sick. So what did I do to recover? Visited Tartine Bakery for the world's largest gougeres--gruyere and black pepper cheese puffs.

I'm quite happy to be back in NYC where I will not be eating candy for at least a week. Best of luck to the entrants of this year's confection category--there were some phenomenal sweets submitted by great artisanal candy-makers from all over the US. So lucky to have been there to enter my vote!

What's In Season: Pears

Apple season is in full swing, but don't let that distract you from autumn's more understated and elegant fruit. The luscious pear is in all of it's glory right now. From the sweet, juicy Anjou to the tiny, cinnamon-scented Seckel, there's a spectrum of flavors, textures and aromas to choose from. Visit your local farmers market and have fun checking out varieties you're not familiar with. Who knows? The next time you get a hankering for pie, you might find yourself peeling pears instead of apples!

Pairs well with:

• Almond
• Apple
• Caramel
• Chestnut
• Chocolate
• Citrus
• Ginger
• Vanilla
• Walnut

What to make/eat:

1. Poached Pears- Peel pears and bring to a simmer in a large pot with about 2 1/2 cups red wine, 1/2 cup of sugar, a cinnamon stick and any other warming spices you feel like adding (cardamom would be nice). Stir to dissolve the sugar and reduce the heat to low, cooking the pears until tender. If making ahead, store the pears in their poaching liquid.

2. Honey Roasted Pears- Peel, core and coarsely chop pears. Toss with honey, the seeds of a vanilla bean and a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Roast at 375 degrees until fragrant and slightly toasted, about 15-20 minutes. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche.

3. Brown Butter Pear Crisp- Make a crisp topping by mixing together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup of chopped nuts of your choice (almonds, walnuts or pecans would all work) and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Melt 3/4 stick butter and slowly drizzle it into the dry ingredients. Stir until large crumbs form. Peel, core and chop pears. Toss with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 TBSP flour, 1/4 tsp salt and the seeds of a vanilla pod. Melt 1/2 stick of butter, swirling the pan, until it becomes brown and fragrant. Mix the brown butter in with the pears. Pour the filling into a baking dish, top with the crumble and bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling. Try your best to let the crisp cool before you dig in!